Below the Surface
by Pey119
Summary: STS universe, kinda a prequel thing. Annabeth and Percy, their kids, and their time at the house. (complete)
1. Chapter 1

Annabeth sat at the long, wooden table, diagrams set out before her. The house she was working on was harder, requiring more rooms than the space could possibly provide. If she got it right, they would be rewarded with more money than she had ever gotten before.

"Hey, Annie." Percy sat next to her, setting a cup of coffee by her papers. "The kids are in bed."

"Good..." she sipped the coffee, not looking at him.

"So...how do you like the house?" Percy asked. "I got in for cheap. Can you believe it?"

"It's pretty," Annabeth commented.

Percy sighed. "It's our second night here and you haven't even looked at it."

Annabeth gestured to her papers. "I'm working. This is a hard one, Perce."

Percy looked at the papers. "Do you think you can figure it out?"

Annabeth nodded. "With time... How do the girls like the house?"

"They love it." Percy smiled. "All they've been doing has been exploring it."

"Is it safe for them to go off on their own?" Annabeth asked. "It's old."

"I checked everything," Percy assured her. "It's fine. Do you want to come to bed? It's late."

"I have work, Percy." Annabeth drank more of the coffee. "You can go up. I know it's been a long day for you."

Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Are you hungry?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I've been snacking on pretzels."

"Okay..." he got up. "Then I'll go to bed. Promise to go to sleep before midnight?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Percy looked at her before going upstairs, the steps creaking underneath his weigh. Annabeth worked herself too hard, spent her nights not sleeping. It had been awhile since his wife had even kissed him.

* * *

Annabeth spoke once Percy was gone, having waited to make sure he wasn't in hearing range. "What do you possibly see in him?"

A pale boy stepped out of the shadows, a noose mark around his thin neck. Black hair, black eyes, dark suit. "He's your husband, Annabeth."

"And yet _you_ have a crush on him." Annabeth smiled. "I want to know why."

He sat on the table next to her papers. "Why are you working yourself to death?"

"You answer my question first, Nico."

"Fine, whatever." he shrugged. "I don't know. I just do. But nothing's ever gonna happen about it so forget that you know."

Annabeth glanced at him. "You seem awfully calm about it."

Nico put his hand to her cup of coffee, tried to feel its warmth. "I'm used to being dead by now. Now, answer my question."

Annabeth sighed. "Fine. You know you're a pain in the ass, right?"

"I always try to be."

"It'll pay good money." Annabeth finally admitted. "Percy spent our money on this house trying to cheer me up. Now we have nothing. So I'm getting money for our family."

"Oh." Nico swung his feet. "Money, I forgot. You guys have to like eat and stuff."

Annabeth cracked a smile. "Yes, we have to eat and stuff."

"That sucks." Nico looked to the ceiling. "Do you want some help?"

"I don't think you could help, sorry." Annabeth started to doodle on another paper. "It's best that I stick to just myself."

Nico pointed to the blueprints. "You messed up right here."

Annabeth's head snapped to the side to look at where he was pointing. "What do you mean?"

"Cut this room in half." Nico took her pencil and drew a dotted line down the page. "Hear me out. The left bedroom doesn't need two closets. Cutting out the walk-in closet gives the right bedroom enough space for you to cut it in half and make another room. Barely, but it works."

Annabeth thought for a minute before gently moving Nico's hand off the paper. "Fine, I admit it. You're right."

Nico grinned. "Glad I could be of assistance."

Annabeth waved him away. "Okay. Go back to wherever you stay."

Nico got off the table. "Have you explored the house yet?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Why?"

Nico shrugged. "Just wondering... And just a warning. There's a lake in those woods. Be careful."

And then he was gone, leaving her alone in the old dining room, alone with her thoughts. How had she gotten so comfortable with a ghost? When had she ever believed in them?


	2. Chapter 2

Percy walked down the old hallway, a hammer in his hand. He knew he had heard something, a pounding, from the third floor. He had been searching for an hour but had come up emptyhanded. Had he really just been hearing things?

He was about to give up when he heard it again, the picture frames on the walls rattling. It sounded like something had ran into the wall itself, so close to Percy that he jumped back in surprise and fell onto his butt.

"Who's there?" he squeaked, his hands rushing to grab the hammer he had dropped.

"Percy?" Annabeth called up the stairs. "What are you doing?"

Percy slowly rose to his feet. "Th...Th...Thought I heard something!"

Annabeth came upstairs slowly, her hair a mess. "I finally go to bed and you aren't there."

Percy paled. "I...I'm sorry...I thought I heard something. I came to check it out."

Annabeth sighed. "Of course he wants to ruin everything."

"Hm?" Percy asked.

"You haven't found out yet?" Annabeth looked around the hallway with her arms crossed. "Thanks a lot, Nico. Now I have to sound like the insane one, here."

"Annabeth..." Percy watched her in confusion. "Who's Nico? Is he who you're cheating on me with?"

Annabeth chuckled softly. "Is that what you've been thinking Percy? Why would I be cheating?"

"Because you...you..." Percy spread his hands out. "Everything. You've acted uninterested in me."

"That's because I'm used to you and I love you." she went and took the hammer from him before kissing his cheek. "And work has been hard. But I'm not cheating on you. I promise."

Percy sighed in relief. "Then who's Nico?"

"Nico is...an asshole, annoying, can be nice." Annabeth looked around. "Nico, you want to show yourself or are we going to be standing here all night?"

Nico sighed as he appeared behind Percy. "You're so needy, Annabeth, I swear. You can't go one night without asking something of me."

Percy seemed to jump out of his skin as he spun around to face the transparent ghost. Nico was holding a lit candle in one hand, no doubt drawing heat from it. "What?"

"You...you...you're a...a..." Percy spluttered. "You're a..."

"A...?" Nico gestured for him to go on. "What am I, Percy?"

Annabeth put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "You bought a house with a ghost in it, Perseus. Good job."

"It...it...cheap..."

"Yes, it was cheap." Nico nodded. "You almost formed a sentence there, Percy."

Percy glared at him. "You...you...ugh!" He put his head in his hands. "Why does this have to happen to my family?!"

"Because you bought my house...?" Nico offered.

"Because life is life." Annabeth kissed Percy's cheek. "Calm down there, Perce. Don't have a heart attack."

"Yeah, please don't," Nico begged. "Then you'd be stuck here with me forever."

"Ha ha." Percy's eyes narrowed. "You better not touch my wife or my daughters."

"I won't hurt anyone." Nico rolled his eyes. His legs disappeared, leaving them with a floating torso to stare at. "It's actually nice having some company. If I intended on scaring you away I would have done so already."

Percy sighed heavily before looking to Annabeth. "I need to go lay down."

"Okay, let's go." she glanced at Nico. "Goodnight, di Angelo."

"Goodnight, I guess." Nico looked to the ceiling. "It's going to storm."

Percy went back to his bedroom with Annabeth at his side, his hands still shaking from the whole ordeal. His wife, however, seemed to be completely calm after seeing a ghost of a teenage boy.

"Annie..." Percy closed the door behind them. "How'd you find out about him?"

"I met him the first night we were here." Annabeth laid on their bed. "He's actually pretty nice."

"He's a ghost..." Percy laid beside her. "I just talked to a ghost..."

Annabeth cuddled into his side. "I know for a fact that he won't hurt us."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, Percy. I just am." she closed her eyes. "Get some sleep."

"Sleep..." he sighed. "I can't, now."

"Why not?" she pulled the blankets over them. "Nervous? Scared of Nico?"

Percy shook his head. "I'm not _scared_ of him. I'm just..." He sighed. "Okay, maybe I'm a little scared."

Annabeth laughed softly. "It'll be fine, Percy. I was a little freaked out at first, too. But then I talked to him. He can actually have some really intellectual conversations. He's a good kid."

"I wonder how he died..." Percy stared up at the dark ceiling. "He's young."

"Hanged," Annabeth mumbled. "Did you see his neck?"

"Oh..." Percy frowned, suddenly disturbed. "That sounds so painful."

"That's because it is." Annabeth sighed. "Come on, Perce. Let's get some sleep."

Percy nodded. "Okay. Goodnight, Annie."

"Goodnight, Percy." she went to sleep, but nothing could have helped him sleep that night.


	3. Chapter 3

Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts... Percy was scared of ghosts. As the days passed, he knew this to be true. Every time Nico showed up, every time he was mentioned, every time Percy heard him. He jumped out of his skin and had goosebumps running up and down his arms. Annabeth was comfortable with Nico, the kids were comfortable with Nico. Only Percy wasn't.

"Percy, cheer up." Annabeth kissed his cheek as they made dinner. "You're always so jumpy."

"Sorry..." Percy continued cutting the onion. "It's just...I don't like...I'm scared of..."

"Ghosts?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah... Don't make fun of me."

"I'm not going to make fun of you." Annabeth turned the stove on. "I'm just going to try and help you through it. Because whether you like it or not, we're stuck with Nico."

Percy glanced around them. "What if he's eavesdropping?"

Annabeth shrugged. "So what?"

Percy continued to look around. While he did, the knife slipped. He cut into his finger, soon hearing the knife hit the wooden cutting board beneath his hand. "I...ow..."

"Percy!" Annabeth grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the stump of a finger. "I thought I could trust you to cut an onion!"

"Ow..." Percy winced at the dull sting. "Ow..."

"You idiot, you're in shock." Annabeth got it wrapped up before leading him to the table. "Just relax. I'll sew it up."

" _You'll_ sew it up?!" Percy questioned. "Annabeth!"

"I know what I'm doing." she left to get her sewing kit before coming back. "The hospital is too far away. Just let me do it."

"Annie..."

"Oh, relax, Percy." she gently unwrapped it before starting to disinfect it. "Just take deep breaths. It'll be over soon."

Percy closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain. "Why me...?"

"You should have been looking." Annabeth's eyes didn't leave his hand. "Remember this next time."

"If only he had hit something more dangerous..." Nico drawled out, appearing on the chandelier above them. "He would have been stuck here with me forever."

Percy glared up at Nico. "What are you-"

"Percy, stay still." Annabeth interrupted. "Do you want me to mess up?"

"No..." Percy closed his eyes again. "How much longer?"

"Not too long." she glanced up at Nico. "What are you doing? You're going to break that thing."

"I'm weightless, remember?" he fell onto the table beside them. "See? Weightless."

"See? Annoying." Percy mocked.

"See? An asshole." Nico countered.

"See? Someone dead-...sorry..." Percy paled. "Sorry."

Nico chuckled softly. "I know I'm dead. It's not a shock anymore."

"Yeah..." Percy used his free hand to move some hair out of his face. "Can I...can I ask...how you died?"

Nico scowled. "Annabeth told you. Hanged."

Annabeth gave Percy a look. "Told you."

Percy opened his eyes with a hiss of pain. "I mean...how? Why? Where?"

"Percy..."

"It's okay, Annabeth." Nico looked up at the ceiling. "I'll tell him." He rubbed his neck, his pale fingers more transparent than before. "In the attic. I hung myself up there."

Percy's face fell. "Oh..."

Annabeth looked over at Nico. "I'm sorry...I didn't know..."

"It's okay." Nico's form started to flicker. "It's in the past."

The past... If his death was in the past, then why was he still there? As Percy glanced over to look at him again, he realized that Nico had disappeared without a sound.

"Do you think I made him feel bad?" Percy asked. "I'm sorry if I did."

"He'll be fine." Annabeth started to wrap his hand up again. "Just don't worry about it. It's not like he can kill himself again."

"That seems...I don't know..." Percy looked around them. "I feel bad for him, now. I didn't know his life had been that bad."

"So you aren't scared of him anymore?" Annabeth asked, starting to put her supplies away.

Percy shook his head. "No, not really. I think I misjudged him for awhile there."

"Yeah, you did." she smiled at him. "Now I'm going to go finish making dinner. You stay here and try not to hurt yourself."

Percy laughed softly. "I'll try."


	4. Chapter 4

Octavia grabbed her father's hand, looking at it in curiosity. "What happened?"

Percy looked down at his wrapped hand, chuckling softly at the whole incident. "I accidentally hurt myself while making dinner."

Octavia put her hands on her hips. "Did you get blood in the food?"

Percy laughed. "No, no I didn't. I'm glad that's all you care about."

She grabbed her cup and pulled it towards her, almost tilting it over the edge. "Where's Nico?"

"Probably in his room." Percy shrugged. "Why?"

"Why doesn't he eat?" Octavia asked. "Doesn't he get hungry?"

Percy frowned. "No, he doesn't get hungry. He's special that way."

"He never eats?"

"Not that I know of." Percy glanced towards the kitchen where Annabeth finished making dinner. "Annie! Octavia has lots of questions about Nico!"

"Then answer them, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth called back, making Octavia erupt into a fit of giggles.

Percy smiled at Octavia. "Okay, okay. Any more questions?"

Octavia nodded. "Why is Nico hurt? What happened to his neck?"

Percy looked around him for help before slowly looking back to his daughter. "He just...is. He got hurt. But he's better now. He feels better."

"Oh." Octavia looked up at her mother as she entered the room. "Food time?!"

"Food time," Annabeth confirmed. "Go get your sister for me."

Octavia ran from the room, her chair rocking from the force. As Annabeth started to make plates, Percy watched in admiration. "You're an amazing mother, Annie."

Annabeth glanced at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just saying." Percy rubbed his bad hand. "Did you hear what Octavia was asking?"

"Yeah." Annabeth put her hair in a ponytail. "She's too curious for her own good."

"Does she not know that Nico's dead?" Percy asked. "How isn't it obvious?"

"She's a kid, Percy," Annabeth replied. "She's innocent. That's a good thing."

"So...she thinks we're just living with a stranger?" Percy asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "Probably."

Octavia ran back into the room, followed by her younger sister. Braids, chubby cheeks, blond hair. Opal waddled into the room, her hand in her mouth.

"There you are." Annabeth set Opal in her seat before sitting by her. "Okay, let's eat."

"Can Nico eat with us?" Octavia asked. "Please? Daddy said that he hasn't eaten in awhile."

"Because he doesn't need to." Percy corrected.

"Octavia..." Annabeth gave her a small smile. "If he wants to eat with us then he'll come. But I think he just wants to be alone today. Okay?"

"Okay..."

"Okay, eat up," Annabeth commanded. "You need your food to grow up big and strong."

Annabeth would never have dreamed that her daughters didn't get to grow up.

* * *

The days passed. They lived, they kept going. Everything seemed to be at peace.

The days passed. Days...their final days. They didn't know it when they woke up that day, but the day came that would be the last of their lives. Their very last day alive...spent full of fighting.


	5. Chapter 5

"No, I don't understand!" Percy turned the sink off before facing his wife. "You don't need to leave for that long."

"Yes, I do!" Annabeth held a paper close to her chest. "You know how nice of an opportunity this is?!"

"A year, Annabeth?!" Percy gestured around him. "We have a house, we have two kids!"

"Two kids that we need to provide for!" Annabeth defended. "This would provide so much money!"

"They need their mother as much as they need money." Percy grabbed a rag and began to wipe the counters off. "You can't just do this, Annabeth. You can't. Think about them."

"I have thought about them." Annabeth hissed. "That's why I'm doing this in the first place. To get them money."

"Do you have any idea how much you're going to miss?" Percy asked. "Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving..."

"We can video chat," Annabeth explained. "We can call each other all the time and-"

"They'll go a year without hugging their mother." Percy cut in. "A year without touching her. A year without-"

"Both of you!" Nico appeared between the two, his dark hair falling into his face. "You haven't been watching your children."

"We-"

"They went towards the fucking lake, Percy!" Nico clenched his fists. As soon as he finished his sentence, he could hear both adults charging outside. Shouts for the girls, shouts of fear and terror. They got quieter as they got farther, got quieter until they were nothing.

Nothing but an empty memory for Nico. He never saw them again. They never came back. Eventually, dust collected on their things. Annabeth's blueprints, Percy's clothes, the girls' toys. From ashes to ashes, from dust to dust.

* * *

 _ **AN: Last chapter. Prequel of the prequel thing up tomorrow: The Surface. Deals with Nico when he was still alive**_


	6. Books

Book One: Scratching the Surface (complete)

Summary: Piper, Jason, and their kids are moving into a new house, but not everything is as it seems. They didn't used to believe in ghosts. (human AU, character death)

* * *

Book Two: Above the Surface (complete)

Summary: sequel to Scratching the Surface. Nico has moved on, their family is doing well...but why would Nico be trying to warn them?

* * *

 **Prequels** :

(1): Below the Surface (Complete)

Summary: STS universe, kinda a prequel thing. Annabeth and Percy, their kids, and their time at the house.

(2): The Surface (complete)

Summary: Prequel thing to the STS series. Nico's life before he died and everything leading up to his death (Main character death, suicide)

(3): The Holes in the Surface (complete)

Summary: Scratching the Surface universe. Nico's first encounter with Hazel and Frank and their time together before the two others get too weak to show up.

* * *

 **Spin-off series:**

(1): Standing On The Surface (complete)

Summary: STS universe. What would have happened if Nico hadn't killed himself. (Solangelo, mentions of suicidal tendencies)

(2): Standing Up With Love (complete)

Summary: What would have happened to Percy and Annabeth in this universe. (Solangelo, human au, ghost!Nico, ghost!Will)

(3): Standing In The Dust (complete)

(4): Standing In The Past (complete)

(5): Standing Beside Your Love (complete)

Summary: Piper and Jason move into a house full of ghosts. (Solangelo, Percabeth, Jasper)

(6): Standing For Your Love (complete)


End file.
